Sacred Landscapes
One Van Lifer's Six-Year, 175,000-Mile National Park Journey
Format:Hardback
Publisher:Bloomsbury Publishing PLC
Published:20th May '25
£25.00
Supplier delay - available to order, but may take longer than usual.
Sam Gennawey, a retired urban planner and historian, embarks on an incredible #VanLife journey spanning six-years, 175,000-miles, and over 380 sacred locations protected by the U.S. National Park Service. In a mix of travelogue, history, and self-reflection, Gennawey seeks answer to crucial questions about “We, the People” in America’s journey.
My View Through the Windshield provides an enlightened look at over 380 sacred places protected by the National Park Service. Having lived the #VanLife for over six years, I've had the privilege of exploring these parks in-depth. The parks are meant to reflect ourselves and our nation. What can we learn?
While working at Yellowstone National Park, I wondered why people want to pet the bison. This question sparked extensive observation and meticulous research, leading to a profound conclusion: The National Park Service and theme parks like Disneyland and Universal Studios employ similar tactics to engage the public's imagination. They all excel in storytelling and preserving beautiful environments while offering contemplation and physical recreation opportunities. As the author of books about Disneyland and the Universal Studios theme parks and a consultant to both organizations' creative teams, I am uniquely positioned to make this connection. Once you uncover these secrets, your perception and experience at our national parks will forever be transformed.
Get ready to see the parks in a whole new light. My View Through the Windshield takes a unique and innovative approach by grouping the parks by their primary themes (volcanos, geology, fossils, Indigenous People, Manifest Destiny, Wars, American Ingenuity and Innovation, etc.). This structure provides a fresh perspective and reinforces the NPS “system” and why it matters.
Sam has a passion for history, often the history that was swept up and tucked into the corners of America. Everyone should have such a passion. In combination with wanderlust, Sam travels as an ‘every’ man. What is the story of a place and why does it resonate still? Never satisfied to visit a place and get the standard and often repeated story, Sam digs deeper, settles down, takes off his shoes and gets comfortable and intimate with each new place his van delivers him too. -- Karl Koster, fur trade historian and National Park Ranger at Grand Portage National Monument
This is the story of America as told through treasured physical places. Gennawey delves into questions about what we choose to preserve, who tells our stories, how we deal with our egregious failings, and momentous achievements in a way that evokes the skillful storytelling of Erik Larson’s Devil in the White City. -- Steve Tatham, Walt Disney Imagineer
Our pride in America’s national parks as a rite of passage is beautifully served in this book. Molding wanderlust into patriotism, there is nothing like them in the world. Sam Gennawey takes “we the people” on the road trip of a lifetime, rekindling, with wit and conviction, our faith in the country and ourselves. -- Alfred Runte, author, National Parks: The American Experience
Sam's book brought home the careful choreography of the national park visitor experience, the placemaking, and storytelling. One example is the “One Good Road,” where a “show path” carefully hugs the landscape and provides the spine of the National Park experience. Thanks for inviting me to “ride shotgun” with you and “Darlene” on this “E-Ticket” ride! -- Mel McGowan, co-founder and CCO of Storyland Studios
Sacred Landscapes is a skillful blend of colorful descriptions, interesting anecdotes, and key facts gleaned from the author’s visits to nearly 400 National Park Service sites. Sam Gennawey combines those details with commentaries on the history behind some of those areas, and the result is an informative and thought-provoking book. -- Jim Burnett, author of Hey Ranger! True Tales of Humor and Misadventure from America’s National Parks
ISBN: 9798881806491
Dimensions: unknown
Weight: 626g
368 pages